Posts Tagged ‘bjp’
Mumbai to J&K: Fantastic Irony of Goondaism
Shiv Sena activists roughed up and smeared ink on a person for organizing book launch of a Pakistani in Mumbai. Whole of BJP Govt took a high moral ground terming it uncivilized and uncouth behavior and no way to protest. During the same time BJP MLA’s roughed up an independent MLA inside J&K assembly for organizing beef party. A touch of irony is not lost here.
It pains me that a party I believed in is playing two faced. How can they shame what happened in Mumbai and glorify what happened in J&K? Just how can they?
Let’s look into the similarities of both incidents. The junior party in the coalition (Shiv Sena in Mumbai and BJP in J&K), fighting for supremacy, resorted to such cheap gimmicks. It is evident that such acts are not done due to ideology or good of public at heart. They are done for instant publicity hoping to gain public support.
I feel public these days have become more aware than our leaders feel. In the digital age we are not confined to local incidents. The hypocrisy and dual behavior cannot be kept hidden anymore. It’s time for BJP to take stock and rectify, lest they too are in the stupor of arrogance which led to demise of Congress.
Devil and the Deep Sea: Land Ordinance
Bachelors crave to get married; Married crave for Bachelorhood. Children want to be ice-cream salesman; Ice-cream salesman wants to be child again. People in India want to go onsite; Onsite Indians long to come back. To cut the analogy short, perspectives change when we cross over. This sums up the Indian Govt’s predicament. Tables seem to have turned.
While Delhi defeat was just a hindrance, the Land Acquisition ordinance is turning out to be real thorn in the flesh. I have no doubt that PM believes changes to the bill are necessary for long term growth, the problem is how to explain it to voters.
As per general opinion, newspapers, TV/Nukkad debates, Govt. is coming out as a villain in this whole episode. And who knows better than Modi that it is all about perceptions. It’s a fact that farmers of this country voted en masse for Modi during general elections (also during Haryana and Maharashtra). In a country like India which is in election mode round the year any misstep will lose you an election somewhere or the other.
Given the track record of successive Govt.’s on land acquisition, farmers are right in being sceptical. I read that even the people who lost their land when Bhakra Nangal Dam was build, haven’t been compensated fully till date. I agree that land is required to set up industry, which in turn provides job. But to do so by alienating people is not a way forward.
Instead of simply doing away with certain provisions of social impact study, approaching court and making the kisaan of India feel uncomfortable, what Govt. should have done is to incorporate such provisions which make farmers sell their land happily. Raising x2/x4 to x10 could be such a thing.
When a farmer sells his land for 100/- and an year later some industrialist re-sells the same land for 1,00,000/-, farmer has the right to feel cheated. Steps should be taken so that farmers earn dividend on the appreciation of the land price too. 25% share to the original owner of appreciation, if land is sold/sub-let by the acquiring party could be another such provision.
It’s too hard to predict how next few days will unravel, but one thing is sure, it is going to be mighty hard for BJP to convince farmers to vote for the party. At least for near future.
Kaun Hai Yeh Vikaas?
Since 9 months of Modi Govt are over, people of India have been doing rounds of Birth Registration offices across India to look if Vikaas has been born or not. Okay Bad Joke.
A lot of things doing round on social media and people are seriously looking for Vikas. Kaun Hai Yeh Vikaas?
I received a message on my Whatsapp, “Modi Sarkar ke 9 Maheene Poore, Kejriwal CM Ho gaya. Kahin Kejriwal hi toh Vikaas Nahin?”. When Kiran Bedi said, “My name is Vikaas Bedi”. People got confused. But then she lost and that debate was nipped in the bud.
Top detectives of India took it into their hands to find out who Vikaas is. Below are the excerpts from when they met.
ACP Pradyumn: Chupp ke baitha hai yeh Vikaas. Kuch toh Gadbad hai Daya. Kuch toh Gadbad hai. Aakhir chupp ke kyon baitha hai yeh Vikaas? Kya zaroorat padi isko chupp ke baithne ki? Har darwaja tod ke dekhna padega (Finger swirling).
Karamchand: Shut up Kitty. Ahem Pradyumn. Yeh bhi koi sawaal hua. Swaal toh yeh hai, ki kya sahi mein yeh Vikaas hai ya behroopiya hai? Is Vikaas ke mukhaute ke peeche Kaun hai? Kitty…Kitty.
Byomkesh Bakshi: Mujhe toh lagta hai ki Koi Vikaas-Bikaas tha hi nahin. Ajit, yahi asal baat hai. Par phir bhi sab Vikaas ka naam baar baar le rahe hain. Is rahasya ki jad tak jaane ke liye humein gawahon se ek baar phir baar karni padegi.
All three of them went to talk to the witnesses.
Tumne dekha hai Vikaas ko?
Witness 1: Nahin Maalik. Humein toh nahin dekha. Suna bahut tha. Gaye bhi they haspataal hum toh. Doctor sahib ko bhi nahin pata hua ki nahin.
Witness 2: Kal ekdum aisa laga ki Vikaas chilla raha hai door. Bahut dhoondha. Bas awaaj hi sunayi di. Kaunoo pishaach laage.
Enter The Muffler Man.
Mufflerman: Arey ab bhi nahin samjhe. Yeh Vikaas Chunavi Jumla tha ji. Chunavi Jumla.
Akbar-Birbal jodi: He…He.
Why BJP lost Delhi?
More than the AAP victory, I consider this BJP’s loss. Delhi was with Modi and yet somehow it was lost. What happened?
1. 7 month > 1.5 month: BJP kept harping on 49 days AAP Govt but did nothing for Delhi in 7 months they ruled indirectly via Centre.
2. LG the puppet: You would remember BJP people raising hue and cry on AAP for raising fingers on LG. LG is constitutional post. Let LG call us first etc. This used to be the Congress line. People of Delhi saw that and decided to teach them a lesson.
3. Black money: Lethargy over black money. People elected BJP not to form SIT and gloat, they did so that black money is brought back. No out of the box acts by Govt to bring back black money did it in.
4. Communal Tension: Unlike in Lok Sabha election, Hindu vote didn’t get polarized. Attacks on churches, communal statements by BJP leaders and silence of Modi was too much to handle for people.
5. Acche Din: The promise was of instant relief and people wanted just that. Nothing changed on the ground and Modi was not able to communicate to people that he required more time.
6. Arrogance: I wrote recently that arrogance shown by BJP spokespersons was just like the one shown by Congress people in the past. BJP took people for granted in their arrogance.
7. Bad mouthing: Bad mouthing a good man like Kejriwal didn’t help. People were angry with Kejri for running away. But they still considered him a good person. Bad mouthing him like Modi did in Maha, Haryana and Jharkhand was not accepted by people.
8. UPA 3: BJP has started to turn into UPA 3. Crony capitalism continues. Loot of country continues. Kejriwal was able to bring home this point.
9. Bedi: Though not a major reason. Opportunist Bedi drove away whatever voters were left with BJP.
BJP confers Bharat Ratna on Rahul Gandhi
It was being discussed in power circles over last week or so. With the outcome of assembly results of Jharkhand and J&K, it has been made official. BJP Govt has decided to confer Bharat Ratna on Rahul Gandhi.
The sense of adulation towards Rahul is profound within BJP. Earlier in the media name of Atal Bihari Vajpayee was doing rounds for this award. When asked, BJP spoke person had this to say, “No doubt Atalji, Advaniji laid the foundation of our party. However it was Rahul who has worked hardly and helped BJP achieve glorious heights today. We wouldn’t be grateful enough if we ignore his contribution to our party and the nation. Without Rahul’s statements and lack of charisma, Modiji might not have become PM and driven hard the development agenda. Rahul is apple of nation’s eyes.”
Congress was quick to issue a defense. “Conferring Bharat Ratna on Rahul is a joke. What has he done? Other than to systemically eradicate Congress and propel BJP back to power. This is a vicious attempt by BJP to placate people faithful to them. We condemn it right, left and center.”
Rahul Gandhi was too happy to say anything. When prodded for a statement, he said, “Bharat Ratna is a state of mind. In my mind I am Global Ratna. Globe at my house has Bharat also. So I was already Bharat Ratna. However it feels nice to get that ribbon and pendant. Nice design I say”.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and should be taken with humor.
BJP: Three in a row. ‘sup Bro?
Elections have proven to be a great leveler once again. Political pundits were left scrambling for the reasons behind by-election debacle of BJP. That it has happened three times in a row makes it all too noteworthy.
What can be the reason? Well I can think of few.
First is the ever thinning patience of the voters which I mentioned few days ago. People want corruption free, polarization free, appeasement free development. When General elections were fought on these principles, it paid. When assembly by-elections were fought otherwise, the party had to pay the price.
Next is the Modi wave or lack of? Modi didn’t campaign. Second rung firebrand leaders were at the center of it all. Had he campaigned, things would have been different. Also his silence on his party’s not so subtle forays of late, seem to have irked junta. Nobody wants another Manmohan. Hope these results instill some sense and for good.
Loss could also be attributed to the dearth of local stars. We haven’t had anyone of Rajnath’s stature in UP politics ever since he moved to Centre. It did hurt this time.
To put it in one word, it’s Arrogance. They started speaking the language of the ousted Government soon after taking power. Following the footsteps of the previous Govt in Governor issue, Less than honest means for Govt formation in Delhi and sting thereof, flaring communal tensions in UP, hiding behind norms and institutions, were few of such things.
If they need to survive, they must gain back public confidence. It can’t be earned by acting smart and by being arrogant. People see through it. Next time you try and hoodwink public, know this, we ain’t no fool no more.
BJP goes the Cong way
What is happening in Delhi today saddens me. Horse-trading has been a cruel reality of Indian politics but expectations from Modi era was different.
The anger among youth was the reason for ouster of Cong at the Centre. This anger was largely due to corrupt practices and policies of quid pro quo. BJP seems to have failed the very first test.
“L-G will take his decision. Let us be invited by L-G first”. Such hiding behind the LG/Governors/Presidents back was what Congress did for last 10 years. It was good for TV debates, but the common man was not fooled; given all above constitutional posts toe the Home Ministry.
What BJP has to realize is youth of today is not as patient. We see through the deception. The arrogance that I see today from BJP spokespersons is like a slap on my face. Congress was voted out due to this very arrogance. Sad to see BJP repeating it.
Today’s sting operation was just a formality. Everyone was aware what was happening behind the doors.
We all lapped up to each and every Modi-vachan through elections and beyond. There was a Modi speech on the TV today. I changed the channel.
Delhi Elections: Make or Break
Power struggle in Delhi has intensified. Impending elections in sight, Centre is trying to woo the voters with clean-up drive across the city. Detractors see inability to rein inflation and absence of knee-jerk reforms to be Govt.’s undoing; huge promises to outdo the fact that they just can’t be fulfilled in such a short span.
Amidst all this, we have failed to notice something substantial, which for me could shape Govt.’s future. The DDA flat allotment. In the past there has been rampant corruption in this much subsidized property allotment.
This DDA draw would be an acid test for the Centre which is ruling Delhi by proxy. Any whiff of corruption and the fortress will come crashing down. People will give Govt. time to fix inflation, poverty etc, but deliberate corruption, they just won’t accept.
Govt. would be well aware of this. It’s interesting to see what protocols it puts in place so as the lottery goes through without rigging. It’s a humongous task given much entrenched corruption across the spectrum. This would also be the first major test for the Govt. against the power dealers and brokers.
Most of us will bet the Govt. to fail. Come on, for once, prove us wrong!
By-Election Result: What it means?
By-election results surprised quite a few. It was first major vote since the General elections earlier this year. Some even called it a feedback on 100 days of the much celebrated Govt.
Outcome seems far from promising for the ruling party. Grand alliance in Bihar have triumphed. Karnataka and Punjab are also not a good omen.
Besides General elections, the biggest achievement of the PM seems to be bringing together the cut-throat foes in Bihar. To gain some perspective we only have to look back
There has always been a consolidation against the ruling party, however the ideological differences may be. JDU-BJP alliance of the past; NC joining NDA Govt. are just some examples. Late 70’s saw anti-Congress forces coming together only to fall apart. Such were their opposing beliefs. It was not until Vajpayee’s management that different ideologues learned to work together under the Common Minimum Program (CMP).
The CMP coalition method perfected by Vajpayee has come back to haunt BJP. Now that Congress has become irrelevant, regional parties have found a new foe. What confounds me is that the once anti-Congress parties have become anti-BJP. Perhaps they were always anti-ruling. It’s what gave them their anti-establishment credentials; a channel for much abused poor to vent out its anger.
The future seems even trickier for BJP. It has got a feel of Congress’ shoes. What a collective onslaught feels like; the fort getting attacked. It never saw a bigger victory and it will have to see even bigger opposition.
Governors Transferred: An Irony
Governors, their sacking, their transfers, their role and their political relevance is being talked about a lot these days in India. Recently one respected Governor was transferred from West to East. He resigned citing insult and inability to move. Controversy ensued.
I am not going to touch upon the usual politics but about something else.
The person mentioned has been a distinguished politician with an illustrious public life; has been a minister several times in his life. He would have his valid reasons not to move, but what I fail to understand is how the transfer was an insult? Why cry foul about the transfer?
These are the very politicians who when come to power start transferring officials at their whims and fancies. IAS/PCS officers are transferred in bulk without reason. Aren’t these officials insulted? There have been cases of honest IAS officers transferred over 50 times without reason. Now that the political class is crying foul, it should introspect about what it has done to the public servants over time.
I sympathize with the said person; it’s never easy to move. But do politicians ever think about the similar pain of honest public servants? It’s ironical to see the political class raising a hue and cry now. Are we all not equal? Is Governor more/less important than any other public servant? But I guess this is a question for another lifetime.
I would like the Governors not being transferred but not before apathy of honest public servants ends. Till then I reckon its payback!
PS: I am of opinion to make the Governors tenure synchronous with the Parliament.
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